


time has brought your heart to me

by iwillbeyourgoal



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, M/M, it's like i enjoy being hurt, why did i do this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-21
Updated: 2012-10-21
Packaged: 2017-11-16 17:46:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/542151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwillbeyourgoal/pseuds/iwillbeyourgoal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>harry wanted to forget, so he did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	time has brought your heart to me

**Author's Note:**

> an eternal sunshine of the spotless mind au because i hate myself

Louis was in his car in front of the bakery. He must have sat there looking down at the small card in his hands for at least half an hour. Every time he reached for the car door handle, he stopped—he couldn’t, wouldn’t do this to himself. Not again.

But he had to.

He threw the card in the passenger seat and forced himself to get out of the car. Looking at the ground the entire way, he walked towards the front door of the bakery. When he got there, he realized the flaw in the plan: you look a little crazy if you try and open a door without looking at the knob.

So he looked up.

A strangled gasp escaped his throat as he saw the boy. He was all smiles and courtesy as he talked to a customer, and Louis’ stomach tied itself in knots. Clenching his eyes shut, he opened the door and walked inside. The familiar scent of flour and icing sugar was almost too much to bear, and he hated how the smells that he used to love now triggered prickling at the back of his eyes and memories, so many memories.

“Can I help you, mate?”

And that voice. That fucking voice. That voice had whispered, screamed, moaned to him, and now it’s been reduced to a friendly hi how are you I’m good thanks tone, and Louis wanted to scream, but he couldn’t, because that would be what Liam liked to call “making a scene”, and that just wouldn’t do.

So he sucked it up and looked up, into his eyes.

Christ. He had forgotten how beautiful he was. His hair had grown out a bit, but it suited him, and the jumper he was wearing made his eyes seem even greener.

It wasn’t fucking fair.

“I… sorry, what?” Louis said, clearing his throat and trying to look anywhere but his face.

“I said, can I help you?” He smirked and Louis had to bite his tongue almost to the point of bleeding.  
"Er, I'll have--" Louis started, but he was interrupted.

“Wait, wait, wait, I know—the usual? Carrot cake cupcake and a coffee?” The boy turned to the cabinet and got the cupcake out.

He remembered. Somehow that hurt more than if he hadn’t. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

Wrapping the cupcake, he laughed. “You’ve been in here a lot lately.”

Louis cursed himself for being weak, for coming back so often. But he smiled, laughed. “Well, I mean… you make a mean carrot cake cupcake… mate,” he said, and his voice very nearly cracked on the last word.

The boy’s smile took up at least 40% of his face. “Well, kind sir, I am flattered. And call me Harry.”

The casual tone that Harry took, like they had never met before, like Louis was hearing his name for the first time, almost sent him over the edge. Liam was right, this was a terrible idea, he should go.

“I—I’m Louis,” he mumbled as Harry poured him the coffee.

Harry faltered and frowned a little. “Hmm. I think I know someone named Louis.”

Louis looked at him urgently. “Oh?” he said, his voice trembling under the façade of curiosity.

He stared down and laughed, shaking his head. “Dunno. Probably someone from primary school or something.” He smiled. “That’ll be four pounds.”

Louis, heart physically aching and breath shallow, handed him the money, took the cupcake and coffee, and turned away.

“Nice to meet you, Louis!” he heard Harry call from what seemed like miles away.

He was shaking as he unlocked his car, and when he did, he fell into the driver’s seat, sobbing.

Picking up the card from the passenger seat, he cried harder than he ever had.

Dear Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan:

Harry Styles has had Louis Tomlinson erased from his memory. Please never mention their relationship to him again. Thank you.

LACUNA, LTD.

424 GRAND STREET, NY, NY


End file.
